Potato-separator.



Patented lune I2, 1900.

P am 2 N. mm 6 0 (Application fllafl Jan. 15. 1900.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PAT NT lrrron.

JAMES CLARK, OF LOMIRA, WISCONSIN.

POTATO-S E PA- R ATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,623, dated L ne 12, 1900. Application filed January 15, 19(l0i Serial No. 1,440. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: a I

Be it known that I, JAMES CLARK, of Lomira, in the county of Dodge and State of lVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Potato-Separators, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide meansin connection with a potato-digging plow for separating the potatoes from the therewith-upturned earth immediately on their being thus dug or raised from their bed in the ground by the upturned plow.

The invention consists of the mechanism and devices severally and in combination, as herein described and claimed, or the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved potato-separator in connection with a plow and its sulky or carriage. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the potato-separator and of the body of the sulky, the wheel of the separator being shown with two only of the fingers employed in large num bers therewith for separating potatoes from the earth. Fig. 3 is a detail of a device for adjusting the potato-separator on the sulky.

Fig. 4 is a detail showing a fragment of the rim of the separator-wheel with the separating-fingers thereon, exhibiting the positions of the fingers with reference to each other and with reference to the wheel.

In the drawings, A is the body or frame of a sulky or carriage from which a plow B is suspended. The sulky-frame is mounted on wheels 0 O, which are a part of the sulky. A plow mounted on a sulky in the manner shown may be used for digging potatoes, the plow being run in and through the hills or rows of potatoes in the ground, therebyraising and overturning a ridge of earth with the potatoes therein. The earth raised by the plow and turned up in a ridge with the potatoes therein would of course be turned over away from the moldboard side of the plow.

In and of my potato-separator I provide an open wheel 5, which is preferably made dishing, the hub being at a central apex at one side of the plane of the rim, and the wheel is provided with an axle 6, that is rigid to the hub. An axle-box 7, loose on the axle, is

mounted pivotally in a yoke 8, fixed on the frame of the sulky A. The axle 6 is held in place adj ustably against endwise movement in the box 7 by collars 6 6, secured releasably thereto by set-screws. The-free end of the axle 6 is inserted loosely ina furcate or slotted standard 9, closed at the top and fixed on the frame of the sulky, and a loose pin 10, insertible transversely'through the standard, is employed to hold the axle 6 in a substantially-horizontal position when the axle is swung on the yoke S to such horizontal position. The axle 6 is located substantially transversely of the sulky-frame,,and when the separator is adjusted for use the axle is tilted in the manner and substantially to the extent shown in Fig. 2, thus tilting the separator-wheel 5, so that its rim is in a plane at an oblique angle to the perpendicular.

The rim of the wheel 5 is provided with a large number of transversely-disposed fingers 11 11, which fingers are advisably made of heavy steel wire and consist, severally, of a substantially-straight body 12, the inner end 13 of which is somewhat pointed, though not sharply so, and at the outer end of the body 12 is bent forming a head .14, disposed at an obtuse angle to the body. These fingers extend across and are secured to the rim of the wheel 5, the points 13 being directed inwardly or toward the plow and the heads 14 being on the outside of the wheel or away from the plow. The fingers are severally advisably strengthened by a stay-rod 15, secured to the head member preferably at a little distance from its outer end and to the body of the fin gers near the point. The fingers are also disposed at an oblique angle rearwardly to the plane of the rim of the wheel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4that is to say, the points 13 of the fingers are so disposed that when at the bottom of the wheel they point obliquely rearwardly. Besides this oblique inclination rearwardly of the points of the fingers these fingers are'also preferably disposed in oblique directions outwardly or away from the axis of the wheel toward their points and inwardly or toward the axis at their heads. These fingers are also placed at equal distances apart on the rim of the wheel and are in such numbers that the distance between them will only permit very small potatoes or such as it is not desirable to save to pass between the fingers and fall to the ground with the dirt taken up also by the fingers.

It will be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that as the plow B turns up the ground and potatoes therewith the ground and potatoes are turned over onto the inner ends of the fingers 11, and as the wheel bearing on the ground rotates rearwardly at the bottom as the plow and carriage are drawn ahead the load of earth and potatoes on the inner ends of the fingers will be carried up rearwardly on the fingers, and as the rim of the wheel thus loaded rises rearwardly the earth and potatoes therein will be thrown over and moved about on the fingers as on a sieve, and the earth and small potatoes will fall through between the fingers onto the ground, while the larger potatoes that are to be saved will he still further carried up by the wheel and by gravity will slide along on the fingers toward and to the heads of the fingers, and as they are elevated to near the top of the wheel will be dropped therefrom by gravity, falling to the ground outside of the fingers 15, then at the bottom of the wheel. By this means the potatoes of such size as it is desirable to save will be separated from the earth and the discarded small potatoes and will be deposited on the ground in a row alongside the path of the travel of the plow and the separator.

'What I claim as my invention is 1. A potato-separator, comprising a wheel, fingers secured to and projecting laterally in both directions from the rim of the wheel at an oblique angle to the plane of the rim, the direction inwardly when at the bottom of the wheel being obliquely toward the rear, and means for supporting and hauling the wheel forward.

2. A potato-separator, comprising a wheel provided with an axle mounted tiltably on a carriage, fingers projecting inwardly laterally from the rim of the wheel at an oblique angle to the plane of the rim of the wheel rearwardly when at the bottom.

In a potato-separator, a wheel provided with fingers projecting laterally from its rim at an oblique angle rearwardly when at the bottom to the plane of its rim, an axle fixed in the hub of the wheel, an axle-box pivoted on a sulky or carriage in which box the axle has its bearin g medially rotatably, and means for securing the axle in an uptilted or oblique position on the carriage.

l. In a potato-separator, a wheel provided with fingers fixed in and projecting laterally from both sides of the rim, and means for mounting the wheel in a plane at an oblique angle to the perpendicular and forhauling it forward.

5. In apotato-separator, an open wheel and fingers in considerable numbers fixed in and projecting laterally in both directions at little distan ces apart from the rim of the wheel, each finger having a substantially-straight body and an integral head at an angle to the body.

6. In a potato-separator, an open wheel and fingers in considerable numbers fixed in and projecting laterally in both directions at little distances apart from the rim of the wheel, each finger having a substantially-straight body and an integral head at an angle to the body, said fingers exclusive of their heads being so disposed that when at the bottom of the wheel they are in a substantially-horizontal plane and their inner pointed ends are inclined obliquely rearwardly to the vertical plane of the axle.

7. The combination of a dishingavheel 5, bent fingers 11 fixed near each other in and transversely of the rim, an axle fixed in the hub of the wheel and projecting from the apex side of the wheel, and means for mounting the wheel in a plane oblique to perpendicular, and for hauling the wheel along.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES CLARK. l Vitnesses:

CHARLES F. KUEN, JOHN H. SIMMoNs. 

